Automatic throttle-closing and brake-controlling device.



S. T. NELSON, H. B. HALVORSN & P. A. HALLBGK. AUTOMATIC THROTTLP.CLOSING AND BRAKE ooNToLLING DBvIoB. APPLIOATION I'ILED PEB. 4. 1909.

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' APPLIOATIOH FILED FEB. 4, 1909.

945,406. Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

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UNITED STATES yPATENT OFFICE.

SVEN T. NELSON, HALBERT B. I-IALVORSEN, AND FRANK A. HALLECK, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO SULLIVAN MACHINERY COMPANY, ACORPORATION OF MAINE.

AUTOMATIC THROTTLE-CLOSING AND BRAKE-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, SVEN T. NELSON, HALBERT B. HALvoRsEN, and FRANK A.HAL- LECK, citizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Automatic Throttle-Closing and Brake-ControllingDevices; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specication.

This invention relates to an apparatus for use in connection with ahoisting engine and hoisting drum, employed for operating the cages orskips in mines, and which operates to automatically close the throttlevalve of the hoisting engine as the cages approach the limits of theirmovement in both directions, and to effect automatically the applicationof the brake to arrest the movement of the hoisting drum and cages afterthe throttle valve is closed.

In the fprior patent to Sven Nelson No. 900,769, 0 October 13th, 1908,is shown and described an apparatus for like purposes in connection withhoisting machinery including two hoisting drums which are mounted on acommon shaft and are separately connected by clutches to said shaft.

An apparatus embodying our present invention is more especially designedfor use in connection with a single hoisting drum, on which aresuspended cables, supporting two cages or skips which are suspended inbalance therefrom, or with two drums affixed to a common shaft.

Certain of the features of construction herein described and claimedare, however, adapted for use in connection with a hoisting drumarranged and operating as set forth in said prior patent.

The accompanying drawings illustrate only the throttle and brakecontrolling mechanism to which the present invention directly relates,it being deemed unnecessary to illustrate therein the hoisting engine,hoisting drums, brake mechanism and associated parts, which inthemselves form no part of the invention and which may be of any usualor preferred construction.

The invention consists in the matters specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 4, 1909.

Patented J an. 4, 1910.

Serial No. 467,035.

hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an apparatusembodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away ofthe apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view, takenon line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View, taken upon line4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken upon line 5v5 ofFig. 1. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional View, taken upon line 6 6 of Fig. l.Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional View, taken upon line 7--7 of Fig. 1.

The machine shown for operating the throttle valve of the hoistingengine is constructed as follows:

1 designates an elongated, horizontal base plate upon which theapparatus is mounted.

2 indicates a horizontal, screw-threaded shaft which is arrangedlongitudinally over the base plate 1, and is rotatively mounted in twosupporting standards 4, -t mounted on opposite ends of the base plate 1.The said shaft is connected at one end with, and adapted to receiverotative motion from, the drum of the hoisting engine, said shaft heiligturned alternately in opposite directions as the direction of rotationof the drum is reversed for raising and lowering the cages or skips.

5 and 6 indicate two cross heads which have screw-tl1readcd aperturesfor the passage of the shaft 2 and are inovedthereby in a directionendwise of the shaft. Said cross heads have downwardly extending partswhich are grooved to fit and slide upon a longitudinally arranged rib 7,upcn the base plate 1; said rib being arranged vertically in line withthe shaft 2 and being adapted to prevent the rotation of the said crossheads so that the latter will be moved lengthwise of the shaft 2 whensaid shaft is rotated. The said heads 5 and G are mounted on either sideof a central support 10 upon the base 1 and are provided above saidshaft 2 with rigidly attached wedge shaped blocks S and 9 which extendin a direction lengthwise of the shaft.4 Pivotally mounted upon thesaid` support 1() is a bell crank lever 11 upon one arm of which ismounted an antifriction roller 12 adapted to be alternately engaged bythe upper `surfaces of said wedge shaped blocks b' and 9 loo when theblocks reach the roller in the turning of the shaft in one direction orthe other. The other arm of the bell crank lever is connected with thethrottle valve mechanism of the hoisting engine and is adapted to closethe throttle valve when the inclined upper surfaces of either of thewedge shaped blocks 8 or 9 engage and lift the roller 12 upon the firstnamed arm of the bell crank lever. ,Y

The upper surface of eachl of the blocks 8 and 9 is inclined or beveledat its inner end, or that nearest the roller 12, and is horizontal inits outer part, and the blocks are so located or arranged on thescrewshaft that the inclined portions thereof will engage and lift theroller 12 and thereby close the throttle of the hoisting engine beforethe cages or skips actuated by the drum reach the top or bottom of themine shaft. The parts will usually be arranged to operate the throttleand stop the engine when the said cages or skips are within two or threehundred feet of the top and bottom of the shaft, the parts being allowedto travel under their own momentum until the cages or skips reach thefinal limits of their travel, and the movement of the drum being finallystopped by means of a brake controlled by the engineer or by theautomatic brake-controlling means hereinafter described.

The horizontal part of each of the wedge shaped blocks 8 and 9 is madeof such length that the block which operates to close the throttle valveof the hoisting engine will remain in contact with the bell crank leverand hold the same in position to keep the throttle valve closed duringthe period in which the drum is being turned by its own momentum, thatis to say, the time which el'apses between the throttling of the engineand the complete stopping of the winding drum. This construction servesto prevent the engineer from either reversing the engine or starting itahead in the same direction after the closing of the engine throttle anduntil the drum has been brought to rest, thereby avoiding liability ofaccident due to the travel of the cages or skips an unnecessary distancebeyond their usual range of movement. Such an arrangement also allowssufficient time for the engineer to apply the brakes by hand to thehoisting drum.

As hereinbefore set forth, the engagement of the Wedge shaped blocks 8or 9 with the bell crank lever 11 serves to lock the throttle of thehoisting engine in a closed position and the following features ofconstruction are provided whereby the engineer is enabled to unlock thethrottle to operate the hoisting engine. The screw-threaded shaft 2 ismovable longitudinally in its bearings and is adapted to be moved orshifted endwise by means of a bell crank lever 3 acting on the end ofthe same. T he said bell crank lever is arranged to move the said shaft2 in either direction a sufficient distance longitudinally to entirelydisengage the wedge shaped block from the bell crank lever 11, therebyreleasing the throttle valve of the hoisting engine and permitting theengineer to operate the said throttle valve to reverse the engine.Either of the wedge shaped blocks may be disengaged from the bell cranklever 11 by moving the shaft 2 in a direction to carry the said block inan opposite direction to that which it was traveling when it engaged thesaid bell crank lever. After the shaft 2 is moved to position to unlockthe throttle valve of the hoisting engine it is retained in suchposition during the reverse motion of the drum and until the other wedgeshaped block has been A moved far enough to again close the throttlevalve of the hoisting engine. The shaft is then moved longitudinally ina reverse direction to disengage the operating wedge shaped block and isretained in its shifted position during the succeeding or reverserotation of the hoisting drum.

While the apparatus hereinbefore described provides for the closing ofthe throttle valve of the hoisting engine to insure against theascending and descending cages reaching the top and bottom of the mineshaft when the engine is under a full head of steam and the momentum ofthe hoisting drum and parts moving therewith is relied upon to completethe travel of the cages, it is necessary that the brake be applied tothe drum to insure the stoppage of the cages when they reach the ends oftheir travel. The brake will usually be controlled by the engineer, butto insure against any negligence on-his part there is provided apparatusadapted to be actuated by the movable cross-heads 5 and 6, toautomatically effect the application of the brake to the hoisting drum,embracing features as follows: Rotatively mounted in the supports 4, 4is a rotative, endwise movable shaft 15 which is parallel with andslightly below the level of the screw-threaded shaft 2. Said shaft 15 isdriven from the shaft 2 by means of intermeshing gear wheels 13 and 14mounted on the support 4 adjacent to the winding drum.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 7, the said gear wheels 13 and 14 are secured tosleeves 16 and 17 which surround said shafts 2 and 15, and which extendthrough and are rotatively supported in bearing apertures in the support4. Upon the inner ends of the sleeves 16 and 17 are collars 18 and 19which hold the said sleeves 16 and 17 and the gear wheels 13 and 14 fromlongitudinal movement in the said support 4.- rIhe adjacent outer endsof each of the shafts 2 and 15 are adapted to slide endwise in thesleeves and are locked to the same so as to rotate therewith by means ofsplines and grooves in the parts. The said shaft 15 is provided withvice from the shaft 15 are provided as foltwo rigidly attached,longitudinally spaced lows: Pivotally secured to the centrally logroovedcollars 20 and 21, located one near each end of the said shaft. Ahorizontally swinging lever 25 extending transversely of the shafts 2and 15 is pivotally supported between its ends on the base plate l withits pivotal axis located laterally between the shafts 2 and 15. Theouter arm of said lever 25 has a forked end in engagement with thecollar 21. A lever 26 also arranged transversely of the said shafts 2and 15 is pivotally supported upon the said base plate With its pivotalaxis at the side of said shaft 2 remote from the shaft 15, and has itsswinging end forked to engage the collar Q0. Carried upon the cross head6 and located vertically in line with and below the shaft 2, in positionfor contact with the lever 25, is a longitudinally projecting contactstud 527, which extends outwardly or toward the left from said crosshead and is adapted to engage the inner arm of the said lever 25 in amanner to move the shaft l5 longitudinally in a direction opposite tothat of the movement of the cross head 6. A similar endwise projectingcontact stud 28 is carried upon the cross head 5 and extends outwardly,or toward the right therefrom, below the shaft. 2. Said contact stud 28is adapted to engage the lever arm 26 at a point between its ends, orbetween its pivotal axis and the shaft l5, in a manner to effectmovement of said shaft in the same direction as that of the said crosshead 5.

To provide for bodily adjustment of the levers 25 and 26 on the baseplate in a direction endwise of the shaft 2, the said levers arepivotally mounted on blocks 23 and 24 which are adjustably secured onthe rib 7 of the base; said blocks, as shown in the drawings, beingprovided in their lower surfaces with grooves to receive said rib, andbeing provided with set screws 29, 30 by which the blocks are clamped tosaid rib. The purpose of providingvendwise bodily adjustment of the saidlevers 25 and 2G on the base, is to enable the apparatus to be readilyadjusted for operation in first assembling the parts of the same, aswell as to permit the time of operation of the brake controlling devicesto be changed with respect to the time of operation of the throttleclosing device, as required in adjusting the apparatus for operation infirst assembling the parts or as found vdesirable or necessary in theapplication of the apparatus to any particular hoisting en gine. It willof course be understood that,

` when the levers 25 and 26 are so bodily adjusted on the base to changethe time of operation of the brake controlling lever. the collars 20 and21 will be adjusted endwise on the shaft 15 to correspond with thechanged positions of the pivots of the said levers.

Connections for operating the brake decatcd support 10 is'a lever arm 35which is connected at its upper end with the brake or brake operatingengine of the hoisting drum by means of a rod 3G. Loosely mounted upon astub shaft 37 carried upon the said lever arm 35 is an antifrictionroller 39. Secured upon the shaft 15 and adapted to engage the roller 39in one longitudinal position of the said shaft 15, is an eccentric orcam disk 410 which acts through the rotation of the shaft 15 to swingthe lever arm 35 in a manner to operate the rod 36 and the brake device.As the brakes will be applied to the hoisting drum shortly after theclosing of the throttle valve of the hoisting engine, the lever arms 25and 26 are so located with respect to the positions of the movable crossheads 5 and 6 that, when either of the latter approaches the end of itstravel away from the roller 12, it will engage its associated lever 25or 2G and thereby move the shaft 15 into position with the eccentricthereon in engagement with the roller 39 on the lever arm 35, thisoccurring at a time shortly after the other one of the wedge shapedblocks has come into contact with and has lifted the roller 12.

In the operation of the device it will somei times occur that the shaft15 will be moved into position for operating the brake controllingdevice at a time when the eccentric or cam disk thereon is in a positionin which its portion of greater eccentricity extends past or overlapsthe margin of the roller 89. To avoid injury to or breakage of the partsunder these circumstances, the roller 34 is adapted to slide endwise onthe stub shaft 37 and a spring 45, mounted upon the said stub shaftbetween the roller 39 and the lever arm acts to hold the said rolleryieldingly in its operative position. Said spring permits the roller tohave a longitudinal yielding movement upon the stub i shaft 37 when theeccentric strikes said roller in the endwise movement of the shaft 15,and said spring` acts to force the roller into the same plane with7 orin position to be acted upon, by said eccentric 40, when the latter inits rotation reaches a position to permit such movement of the saidroller. For returning the shaft 15 to position with the eccentric or cam410 thereon away from the roller 39 so as to release the brake when thescrew shaft 2 is shifted endwise to permit the reversal of the engine,there is provided a bell crank lever 11G which is pivotally supportedupon a lug 47 which projects upwardly from the base 1. One arm of thesaid bell crank lever engages a flanged collar 48 upon the said shaft 15while the other arm of the said lever is provided with a weight 49 whichacts upon the said lever to swing the same in a direction to move theshaft longitudinally in a direction to restore saidfshaft to its normalposition in which the eccentric 40 is out of engagement with the roller39.

The operation of a device made in accordance with our invention is asfollows: The cross heads 5 and 6 are so located upon the screw-threadedshaft 2 that they will travel a required distance, depending upon thelength of cable to be wound and unwonnd from the hoisting drum, and oneor the other, depending upon the direction of rotation of the hoistingdrum, will be moved into position for the actuation of the roller 12 toclose the throttle at a time when the ascending skip or cage is withintwo or three hundred feet of the top of the mine shaft, this distancebeing determined by the number of revolutions that are made by thewinding drum under its own momentum. Likewise, the supports 23 and 24for the lever arms 25 and 26, controlling the longitudinal movement ofthe shaft 15, are so adjusted with respect to the cross heads 5 and 6that at the time either of the said cross heads with its wedge shapedblock has moved into engagement with the roller 12 the other of the saidcross heads will have been moved to position with its contact armengaging its co-acting lever for giving longitudinal movement to theshaft 15, thereby moving the said shaft into position with the eccentricor cam disk thereon in engagement with the lever arm of the brakecontrolling mechanism and operating to apply the brakes to the hoistingdrum soon after the closing of the throttle valve of the hoistingengine. After the parts have reached a position for throttling theengine and applying the brakes to the hoisting drum, the bell cranklever 3, connected with the end of the screw-threaded shaft 2, will beoperated by the engineer to move the actuating cross head with its wedgeshaped block out of engagement with the roller 12, thus permitting theengine to be reversed. The longitudinal movement of the shaft 2 willshift the brake actuating cross head out of engagement with itsco-acting lever, thus permitting the shaft 15 to be moved longitudinallyto its normal position, with its eccentric or cam out of engagement withthe brake controlling levers, thereby permitting the brakes to bereleased from the drum.

While reference haspbeen herein made to only one hoisting engine and onedrum around which the cable for raising and lowering the skips or cagesout of or into the mine is wound in opposite directions, the device willbe equally effective in case two drums upon a single shaft, operated byseparate engines, are employed to raise and lower the separate cages, itbeing evident that two engine throttle valves can be operated from theone bell crank lever as well as can one. In the same manner that the onebell crank lever of the throttle closing device may be employed tocontrol one or two engines so may the one lever arm 35 be adapted toactuate the brakes or brake controlling means of one or two hoistingdrums.

It will be understood that an apparatus, constructed and operating ashereinbefore described precludes the possibility of the cage beingcarried past its stopping point by the action of the hoisting engine incase of neglect or inability on the part of the engineer to close thethrottle of the engine at the proper' time, and also insures applicationof the brake to the winding drinn in time to prevent the cage beingcarried by the momentum of the moving parts past its stopping point, incase the engineer fails at the proper time to arrest the movement of themoving parts by the use of the handcontrolled brake.

Ve claim as our invention 1. An automatic throttle closing and brakecontrolling device for a hoisting engine embracing a screw shaft havingrotative movement alternately in opposite directions` a movable throttleclosing'member, a movable brake controlling member, and two cross headsengaged with and moved by said shaft and adapted for alternate actionupon said throttle closing member, a second, rotative, endwise movableshaft, means operating by the rotation of said second shaft foroperating the brake controlling member adapted to be thrown into and outof operative connection with said brake controlling member by endwisemovement of said second shaft, means maintaining said second shaftnormally in inoperative position, and means actuated by said cross headsadapted to shift said second shaft endwise in the same direction in therotative movements of the said screw-threaded shaft in both directions.

2. An automatic throttle closing and brake controlling device for ahoisting engine embracing a rotative screw-threaded shaft, throttleactuating means operated thereby, a brake controlling member, a secondrota- 115 tive, longitudinally movable shaft separate from and parallelwith the screw-threaded shaft for actuating said brake controllingmember, said second shaft being normally in inoperative relation to thebrake control- 120 ling member, and means operated by saidscrew-threaded shaft acting to shift the said second shaft endwise intoposition for operative connection with the brake controlling member.

3. An automatic throttle closing and brake controlling device for ahoisting engine, embracing a rotative screw-threaded shaft. a cross headengaged with and actuated by said screw-threaded shaft, a throttle actu-13o ating member operated by 'said cross head, a brake controllingmember, a second rotative, longitudinally movable shaft separated fromand parallel with said screw-threaded shaft, means operating by therotation of said second shaft for actuating said brake controllingmember adapted to be thrown into and out of operative connection withsaid brake controlling member by endwise move` ment of said secondshaft, and which are normally in inoperative relation to said brakecontrolling member, and means actuated by the movable cross head forshifting the said second shaft endwise to bring said actuating meansinto operative connection with said brake controlling member.

4. An automatic throttle closing and brake controlling device for ahoisting engine, embracing a rotative screw-threaded shaft, a cross headengaged with and actuated by said shaft, a throttle actuating memberoperated by said cross head, a second rotative, longitudinally movableshaft separate from and parallel with said screw-threaded shaft, a brakecontrolling member actuated by the rotation of said second shaft,adapted to be thrown into and out of operative connection with the brakecontrolling member by endvvise movement of said second shaft, a weightapplied to hold said second shaft in inoperative position, and meansactuated by the movable cross head for shifting said second shaftendwise into operative connection with said brake controlling member.

5. An automatic throttle closing and brake controlling device for ahoisting engine, embracing a rotative screw-threaded shaft, a cross headengaged with and actuated by said shaft, a throttle actuating memberactuated by said cross head, a second rotative, longitudinally movableshaft separate from and parallel with said screwthreaded shaft, a brakecontrolling member, a cam disk carried by the said second shaft andadapted by endwise movement of said second shaft to be brought into andout of operative rotation with the brake controlling member, meansholding said second shaft normally in position with said 'eccentric ininoperative relation to the brake controlling member, and means actuatedby said movable cross head adapted to shift said second shaft endwise ina direction to bring said eccentric into position for action upon thebrake controlling member.

6. An automatic throttle closing and brake controlling device for ahoisting engine, embracing a rotative screw-threaded shaft, a movablecross head engaged with and actuated by said shaft, a second rotativelongitudinally movable shaft separate from and parallel with saidscrew-threaded shaft, a cam disk carried by said second shaft, apivotally supported brake controlling lever adapted to be actuated bysaid cam disk,

means maintaining said second shaft in position with the cam disk ininoperative position, and a pivoted lever acting upon the said secondshaft and adapted to be engaged by the movable cross head to shift said.second shaft endwise to bring said cam disk into operative relation tosaid brake controlling lever.

7. An automatic throttle closing and brake controlling device for ahosting engine, embracing a rotative screw-threaded shaft, a movablecross head engaged with and actuated by saidv screw-tlut-aded shaft, asecond rotative, longitudinally movable shaft, a brake controllingmember, means on said second shaft for actuating said brake controllingmember, a bell crank lever connected at one end with said second shaftand provided at its other end with a weight adapted to maintain saidsecond shaft normally in inoperative position. and means actuated bysaid cross head for shifting said second shaft into position foroperative connection with said brake controlling member.

8. An automatic throttle closingand brake controlling device for ahoisting engine embracing a rotative screw-threaded shaft, a base uponwhich the same is mounted, a movable cross head engaged with andactuated by said screw-threaded shaft, a throttle closing memberactuated by said cross head, a second rotative, endwise movable shaftmounted on said base, a brake controlling member pivoted to said base, apivoted lever connected with said endwise movable shaft and adapted tobe engaged with said movable cross head to shift endwise the secondshaft, and a support for said pivoted lever mounted on the said base andadjustable thereon in a direction endwise of said shafts.

9. An automatic throttle closing and brake controlling device for ahoisting en-. gine embracing a screw shaft having rotative movementalternately in opposite directions, a movable throttle closing member, amovable brake controlling member, and two cross heads engaged with andmoved by said shaft and adapted for alternate action upon said throttleclosing member, a second, rotative, endwise movable shaft, meansoperating by the rotation of said second shaft for operating the brakecontrolling member adapted to be thrown into and out of operativeconnection with said brake controlling member by endwise movement ofsaid second shaft, means maintaining said second shaft normally ininoperative position, and tivo pivoted levers, the pivots of which arearranged in opposite lateral relation to the path of movement oftheucross-heads, and which are acted upon severally by said cross-heads;said levers acting to shift said second shaft endwise in rvr the samedirection when given movement by each of said cross-heads.

10. An automatic throttle closing and brake controlling device for ahoisting engine embracing a base, a screw-threaded shaft mounted uponsaid base, a longitudinally arranged rib upon said base, a cross headhaving screvv-threaded engagement with said shaft and sliding engagementWith said rib, a movable throttle closing member mounted on the base andadapted to be actuated by said cross head, and a movable brakecontrolling member adjustably secured to said longitudinally arrangedribI adapted to be actuated by said cross head.

In testimony, that We claim the foregoing as our invention We aHiX oursignatures in the presence of two Witnesses, this 2nd dag7 of FebruaryA. D. 1909.

SVEN T. NELSON. HALBERT B. HALVORSEN. FRANK A. HALLEGK.

l/Vitnesses FRANK A. ROGERS, EDWIN O. HANSON.

